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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498678">Payback</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadistiKitteh/pseuds/SadistiKitteh'>SadistiKitteh</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Boundshipping AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:15:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,394</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22498678</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadistiKitteh/pseuds/SadistiKitteh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Bakura tries to give Malik the money he gave him back. Malik takes his olive branch a different way.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thief King Bakura &amp; Marik Ishtar, Thief King Bakura &amp; Mutou Yuugi, Thief King Bakura/Mutou Yuugi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Boundshipping AU [5]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1448101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Payback</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is more like a plot-filler than anything else (and yes, there's a PLOT to this :P). More Bakura &amp; Malik focused~</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bakura woke from dozing in front of the TV to an envelope dropped onto his chest. He looked up, staring confused and bleary eyed at Solomon Mutou. He simply smiled. “For your help in the shop.”</p>
<p>Bakura blinked, shaking his head as he stared at the envelope in his hand. “I...can’t take this.”</p>
<p>“I guessed you wouldn’t. Look on the other side, my boy.”</p>
<p>Bakura glanced at Solomon unsure, turning the envelope slowly. Seeing Malik’s handwriting after so long hurt; he thought he had thrown it out after buying his new laptop.</p>
<p>“The best way to start making things right, is to return the things loaned to you.”</p>
<p>Bakura shook his head. “That won’t fix what I did.”</p>
<p>“It’s not meant to, but it’s the right thing. I’m going to guess he wouldn’t expect you to return what he gave you.”</p>
<p>Bakura gripped the envelope a bit tighter, his voice strained. “You don’t know what made him…”</p>
<p>He couldn’t finish, and after a moment of silence, Solomon spoke up again. “I know a guilty man when I see one. It can serve as a peace offering, for now.”</p>
<p>Bakura looked at the envelope again, took a deep breath, and stood. “I’ll try.”</p>
<p>“Good luck, Bakura.” Solomon patted his shoulder, returning to his work in the shop.</p><hr/>
<p>It had been so long since he had been to Malik’s condo. He double checked to make sure Malik was home (and alone) before going inside. The elevator ride felt longer than usual, and he fiddled with the envelope. He wasn’t sure what he could say, or if Malik would hear him out. If he could fix it now, he would never have to bother Yugi with it.</p>
<p>Admittedly, he didn’t want to go back with Malik. He felt too comfortable with Yugi now, he couldn’t imagine going back to Malik’s suite. If he could, he’d be okay with living on his own. As long as Yugi visited now and then of course.</p>
<p>He stopped at Malik’s door, contemplating on just slipping the envelope under the door. But he wanted to try, even one more time, to talk to Malik.</p>
<p>Bakura hesitantly knocked, but heard no answer. “Malik...come on I know you’re home, your bike is outside.”</p>
<p>Still no reply. “Malik, I just want to pay you back, dammit!”</p>
<p>He huffed, pacing in front of the door. “A-and I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for the dumb shit I said. If you’d just let me explain myself.”</p>
<p>Again, no response. Bakura pounded on the door. “Malik!” his yell was on the hinge of desperation, “Dammit, please, I can’t just stay with Yugi forever. And I know how ironic that fucking is, just…”</p>
<p>Nothing. No response, no answer, likely pretending he wasn’t home and letting Bakura admit his secrets and humiliate himself. Bakura bristled at the idea, sneering at the door. “A fucking stubborn bastard as always, huh Ishtar?”</p>
<p>He shoved the envelope under the door, ignoring that his sight began to blur and his cheeks now felt wet. He was tired of this arguing, he didn’t want any more help or to bother anyone else with this stupid drama between himself and Malik.</p>
<p>“Take your bloody money, I don’t need charity from you.” Bakura hissed, standing and marching off to the elevator.</p>
<p>He failed again.</p>
<p>He failed <i>again</i>.</p>
<p>When he returned, the tears had dried and his frustration was a simmer behind his gaze. Solomon took one look and went to grab him a soda, offering it. “You tried. Sometimes that’s the best you can do.”</p>
<p>“I <i>failed</i>.” Bakura hissed, both out of frustration and from accidentally shaking the bottle, almost spilling his soda all over the floor. “Asshole wouldn’t even open the door or talk to me.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure he was home?”</p>
<p>“His bike was there, he should’ve been home. He never just leaves without it.”</p>
<p>Bakura chugged half his soda before what the argument was spilled from his lips. Solomon just listened, making no sign that he judged anything Bakura was telling him. Bakura stared at his bottle after he finished, nervous to see how Yugi’s grandpa viewed him now.</p>
<p>But Solomon’s face didn’t change. “Is this why you haven’t told Yugi?”</p>
<p>Bakura’s head dipped lower, but he nodded. “He’ll just take Malik’s side.”<br/>
Solomon chuckled, which made Bakura look up with a glare. “You underestimate my grandson, even now. Either that, or you’re in denial how much he likes you.”</p>
<p>The comment was unexpected, causing Bakura’s cheeks to flush. He hoped it wasn’t visible. He huffed. “You’re looking too much into it.”</p>
<p>Solomon hummed, taking the empty soda from Bakura to rinse and put away. “Perhaps. Only one way to know for sure, isn’t there?”</p><hr/>
<p>Ryou was out grocery shopping when he ran into Malik. He hadn’t seen him since Bakura came back and had difficulty seeking him out when finding out he was staying with Yugi. When Ryou asked about Bakura, the smile Malik wore wavered; no longer matching his eyes. “I’m sorry Ryou, I kicked him out. He… he just was being unreasonable.”</p>
<p>“Well, that’s not new, how long ago?”</p>
<p>“...A few months now. I haven’t heard from him since he came for his laptop, so I’m sure he’s fine wherever he is.”</p>
<p>Ryou frowned, worried about how Malik wasn’t entirely looking at him. “Yeah. He’s staying with Yugi.”</p>
<p>Malik’s head shot up and his mouth opened, gripping his cart before he managed a response. “O-Oh?”</p>
<p>Ryou sighed. “Malik, what happened? Any time I ask him, he deflects the question.”</p>
<p>Malik looked away fully from Ryou then. “I’m sorry, if he doesn’t want to talk about it, then I won’t talk about it. I’ll keep that promise, at least.”</p>
<p>“Malik, please, I just want to help.”</p>
<p>“He doesn’t want you involved, Ryou.”</p>
<p>Ryou huffed, trying to calm down once he realized they were arguing in the middle of the grocery store. “At least tell me what he said to make you kick him out. I need to know if it’s something <i>Yugi</i> needs to know.”</p>
<p>Malik seemed to want to deflect, but glared at his cart. He reached in his cart and set aside a pack of soda, one Ryou recognized as something Bakura enjoyed drinking. “Okay. But at my place, I’m not talking about this in public.”</p>
<p>Ryou nodded, quickly grabbing himself a snack before heading to the cashier. When he went out to the parking lot, he was surprised to see Malik loading his groceries into a car. Malik glanced back, smiling a bit from Ryou’s reaction. “Bike’s been acting fussy, I need to give her a look-over. Didn’t want to risk her even for a trip like this.”</p>
<p>“Heh, of course. I didn’t know you had a car.”</p>
<p>Malik just shrugged. “Borrowing from my sister, are you following or riding with me?”</p>
<p>Ryou followed in his own car, not wanting to leave it in the lot in case it was a long walk back to the store. They filled the walk inside and the elevator ride with casual talk, catching up with each other to ease the tension between them.</p>
<p>Malik unlocked the door to his suite and froze, staring at the ground. Ryou looked around him, surprised to see an envelope on the ground. “Huh, wonder why they didn’t just leave it in your mailbox.”</p>
<p>Malik didn’t reply, turning the envelope in his hands, looking inside to the money there. Ryou thought he spotted Bakura’s writing on the envelope before Malik quickly spun to face Ryou. He took a deep breath. “Ryou, I’m sorry, I…”</p>
<p>“No, Malik, don’t do this.”</p>
<p>“I’m sorry, I just… I can’t.”</p>
<p>“Malik!”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry, I’ll let Yugi know myself.” Malik said, the smile he gave Ryou not quite meeting his eyes. “It was nice seeing you again, Ryou Bakura.”</p>
<p>And Malik closed the door behind him, leaving Ryou standing bewildered at the door. Malik threw the envelope on the table by the door, glaring at the writing on the envelope.</p>
<p>
  <i>Thanks</i>
</p>
<p>Like a gift thrown back at his face, like his money wasn’t good enough for the great Thief King. He didn’t need it, and was weary that Bakura knew that. Well, jokes on him. He knew he was staying with Yugi now.</p>
<p>He hadn’t talked to Yugi in some time anyway, perhaps now would be a good time to catch up.</p>
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